Velvet Dogma About 3300 wds by Weston Ochse Read Free Book Online Page B

Science. By the time they were a quarter through their senior year, they went their separate ways, with Rebecca spending more and more time in a self-imposed cone of silence as she began learning, then perfecting the intricate algorithms of chaos hacking. By the time Rebecca was ensconced in the Warez Underground, they'd become Holiday Friends, only hearing about each other's lives when they exchanged Christmas cards.
    "Yes! I know Olga. Where is she? Does it say what she's doing?"
    "None of that, but she's actually closer than your grandmother. If you want, we can swing by her flat without making much of a side tour."   Reading the indecision in her eyes, he added, "Until we can figure out what's going on and who to trust, you need a place to go to ground. Maybe Olga is just the person we're looking for."
    Rebecca nodded, realizing the soundness of Andy's advice. In fact, Olga's place might be the answer to most of her problems. A part of her wanted to save her grandmother. She didn't know the legalities of the D-Pens or the organ levy laws, but if she could somehow manage to spirit the old woman away, Rebecca might think of something that could be done. "You're right. Let's go."
    They turned to go, then spied three grey-suited police officers zoom to a halt at the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga on hoverBoards—similar to the gravBoards but round where the gravBoards were long. The cops wore glistening black helmets. Each wore a POD over his left eye. Knee high black boots covered their legs, snapping into heel-sleeves on the fore and back parts of the boards.
    Rebecca and Andy stood north of Hollywood Boulevard and uphill from the corner. The crowds thinned as the police advanced at a careful pace on their boards, one down Hollywood, one south down Cahuenga and one directly towards them. She thought he'd seen her, but he stopped at a burrito stand and spun a woman around with short blonde hair around. She fell to the ground, but he made no move to help her up. Instead, he began searching up the street.
    The police were definitely looking for Rebecca. Without thinking, she grabbed Andy and jerked him into her as she leaned back against the wall. She kissed him deeply, closing her eyes as she willed herself invisible. Andy, to his credit, didn't pull away. Just the opposite—he kissed back, his body covering hers as their lips danced. He made a small moan.
    They held each other for nearly twenty seconds as she heard the hum of the board as it passed. Then her worst fears came to pass. She heard the board pause, then return and stop, hovering directly behind Andy.
    She opened her eyes to slits, meaning to sneak a glance. But surprise took over as she noticed the policeman staring directly at her. As their gazes met, her eyes widened. Andy felt the change and opened his own eyes. She glanced at him, eyeball to eyeball. What could they do now?

Chapter 6
     
    "D amn," he mumbled into her mouth.
    Then he spun around, his right arm hooking the policeman around his knees. Andy heaved upwards and jerked the man from the board. They both went down in a heap.
    Rebecca lunged forward and kicked the downed man, her foot striking the nearest part of the downed cop—his knee. He simultaneously screamed in pain, then growled as he struggled with Andy for position. Rebecca kicked again, this time missing and losing her balance. She fell sideways, her head leading the way. She groaned as the side of her head smacked into the policeman's face. Everything went grey, and her vision blurred, then she felt herself jerked to her feet. Andy threw her arm over his neck and broke into a jog. She stumbled to keep up with him.
    "Bec, you okay?"
    She mumbled something meant to mean yes, but didn't even understand herself.
    He took her weight and dragged her into an alley. Resting her against the wall, he massaged her cheeks, pausing only to use his thumb to open one of her eyelids.
    The cobwebs dissolved, leaving only a throbbing pain on the left